Liverpool returned to their league-winning form with a 2-0 victory over West Ham at the London Stadium, securing the points thanks to Alexander Isak’s first Premier League goal for the club and a late finish from Cody Gakpo on a night marked by a costly red card for Lucas Paqueta.
The first half was tense rather than chaotic, with Liverpool controlling periods of possession without opening West Ham up very often.
Wirtz, Mac Allister and Van Dijk all forced Alphonse Areola into action, while Gakpo continued to pose Liverpool’s most creative threat in the final third.
West Ham relied on moments of transition, with Bowen and Wilson as outlets, but Alisson faced little direct danger before the break.
The game turned just after the hour mark. Liverpool piled on the pressure down the left, Gakpo regained possession in a crowded box and Isak arrived with a calm side-footed finish into the bottom corner to finally break his Premier League duck.
It was a deserved lead and one that forced West Ham to push higher, creating more space for Liverpool to play.
Their task became more difficult when Paqueta, booked for dissent, continued to challenge the referee and received a second yellow almost immediately.
That moment stripped West Ham’s midfield structure and left them running for the final 10 minutes, and they paid the price.
Gakpo sealed the result in stoppage time, landing a cross and firing past Areola as Liverpool hit back in the space vacated by a tense home side.
By then, the competition had narrowed down to game management, with Slot’s team able to comfortably survive the final minutes.
A well-deserved victory, a historic goal for Isak and a calmer finish than Liverpool have seen in recent weeks.
